Method and a machine for producing puree, or juice, from food products with high production capacity

Abstract

A machine for extracting puree, or fruit juice, from a product of animal or vegetable origin, provides a hollow body having a longitudinal axis. In the hollow body a sieve is mounted having a plurality of holes, in order to result co-axial to the hollow body same. The machine also includes a rotor mounted coaxially in the sieve and having a plurality of blades arranged to cause a centrifugal force to the product to treat, in order to separate it into a main product that crosses the sieve and that is discharged through a first outlet and into a waste material that, instead, cannot cross the sieve and is discharged through a second outlet.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A machine for extracting puree, or fruit juice, from a food product of animal or vegetable origin, said machine comprising:
 a hollow body having a longitudinal axis and defined laterally by a lateral containing wall; 
 a sieve having a plurality of holes and mounted in the hollow body in a position co-axial to the longitudinal axis; 
 a rotor mounted in the sieve in a position co-axial to the longitudinal axis, the rotor having a plurality of blades and arranged to rotate in the sieve to cause a centrifugal force to the food product to be treated, in order to separate the food product to be treated into a main product comprising said puree, or fruit juice, which crosses the plurality of holes of the sieve and is discharged through a first outlet, and a waste material that, instead, cannot cross the plurality of holes of the sieve and is discharged through a second outlet; 
 a distributor integral to the hollow body and arranged to receive the food product and to distribute the food product to the rotor; 
 a support means arranged at a second portion for supporting the hollow body in a cantilever-like manner; 
 a support frame of the sieve, to which the sieve is integral, the support frame of the sieve surrounding the sieve and comprising a plurality of coaxial ring portions and a predetermined number of connecting portions arranged to connect the plurality of coaxial ring portions to each other; 
 wherein each connecting portion is arranged flush with an outer edge of the plurality of coaxial ring portions, to avoid producing stairs between the outer edge of the plurality of coaxial ring portions and each connecting portion; and 
 a carriage for handling the support frame and the sieve integral to each other, the carriage having a plane support configured to be positioned at a same height of the distributor, in order to allow extracting by sliding the support frame from the hollow body, and arranging by sliding the support frame on the plane support. 
 
     
     
       2. The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the distributor provides a first feeding duct to feed the food product to be treated to the rotor along a first feeding direction, and a second feeding duct to feed the food product to be treated to the rotor along a second feeding direction, wherein the first feeding direction and the second feeding direction are tangential to the distributor. 
     
     
       3. The machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second feeding ducts are configured to feed the food product to be treated along a direction concordant to the peripheral rotation of the rotor about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       4. The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a first feeding duct and a second feeding duct are arranged at diametrically opposite positions with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       5. The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the sieve is integral to a containing wall of the hollow body, wherein an adjustment group is provided for adjusting a relative position between the sieve and the rotor, the adjustment group comprising a force application structure arranged to apply a predetermined correction force Fc on the lateral containing wall at a predetermined position positioned at a predetermined distance d from the support means, the predetermined correction force Fc arranged to cause a predetermined controlled movement of the lateral containing wall and, accordingly, of the sieve, which is integral to the lateral containing wall. 
     
     
       6. The machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the force application is selected from the group consisting of:
 a first force application structure arranged to apply a first correction force Fc1 on the lateral containing wall of the hollow body, the first correction force Fc1 being orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the hollow body and being arranged to cause a controlled vertical movement of the sieve, said first force application structure arranged to apply the first correction force Fc1 vertical at a first application point at a lowermost position of the hollow body; 
 a second force application structure arranged to apply a second correction force Fc2 on the lateral containing wall of the hollow body, the second correction force Fc2 being horizontal and being arranged to cause a controlled movement horizontal of the sieve, the second force application structure arranged to apply the second correction force Fc2 horizontal at a second application point; 
 and a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the force application structure comprises:
 a nut screw element integral to the lateral containing wall of the hollow body; 
 a screw arranged to engage with said nut screw element for applying a correction force Fc on the lateral containing wall of the hollow body. 
 
     
     
       8. The machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the support means is arranged at a connection flange connecting the first portion and the second portion of the hollow body, the connection flange being weakened, by a reduction of thickness, in order to increase an elasticity and to reduce a stress generated at the connection flange during the relative position between the sieve and the rotor. 
     
     
       9. The machine according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of rotors mounted coaxially in the hollow body; and/or 
 a plurality of sieves mounted coaxially in the hollow body. 
 
     
     
       10. The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second feeding ducts are horizontal, wherein both the first feeding direction and the second feeding direction are horizontal. 
     
     
       11. The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the distributor provides:
 a first feeding duct; 
 a second feeding duct; and 
 a third feeding duct; 
 said first, second, and third feeding ducts arranged at an angular distance of 120°. 
 
     
     
       12. The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said distributor and the hollow body are configured to engage with each other in a removable way, in order to carry out a replacement of a first distributor with a second distributor different from the first distributor. 
     
     
       13. A machine for extracting puree, or fruit juice, from a food product of animal or vegetable origin, said machine comprising:
 a hollow body having a longitudinal axis and defined laterally by a lateral containing wall; 
 a sieve having a plurality of holes and mounted in the hollow body in a position co-axial to the longitudinal axis; 
 a rotor mounted in the sieve in a position co-axial to the longitudinal axis, the rotor having a plurality of blades and arranged to rotate in the sieve to cause a centrifugal force to the food product to be treated, in order to separate the food product to be treated into a main product comprising said puree, or fruit juice, which crosses the plurality of holes of the sieve and is discharged through a first outlet, and a waste material that, instead, cannot cross the plurality of holes of the sieve and is discharged through a second outlet; 
 a distributor integral to the hollow body and arranged to receive the food product and to distribute the food product to the rotor; 
 a support means arranged at a second portion for supporting the hollow body in a cantilever-like manner; 
 a support frame of the sieve, to which the sieve is integral, the support frame of the sieve surrounding the sieve and comprising a plurality of coaxial ring portions and a predetermined number of connecting portions arranged to connect the plurality of coaxial ring portions to each other; 
 wherein each connecting portion is arranged flush with an outer edge of the plurality of coaxial ring portions, to avoid producing stairs between the outer edge of the plurality of coaxial ring portions and each connecting portion; 
 wherein the support frame comprises: 
 a first plurality of coaxial ring portions arranged in a first sieve section at a first pitch p1; 
 a second plurality of coaxial ring portions arranged at a second pitch p2, with p2>p1, at a second cross section of the sieve, the second cross section of the sieve being farthest from the first cross section of the sieve starting from an inlet through which the food product to be treated is put in said hollow body. 
 
     
     
       14. A machine for extracting puree, or fruit juice, from a food product of animal or vegetable origin, said machine comprising:
 a hollow body having a longitudinal axis and defined laterally by a lateral containing wall; 
 a sieve having a plurality of holes and mounted in the hollow body in a position co-axial to the longitudinal axis; 
 a rotor mounted in the sieve in a position co-axial to the longitudinal axis, the rotor having a plurality of blades and arranged to rotate in the sieve to cause a centrifugal force to the food product to be treated, in order to separate the food product to be treated into a main product comprising said puree, or fruit juice, which crosses the plurality of holes of the sieve and is discharged through a first outlet, and a waste material that, instead, cannot cross the plurality of holes of the sieve and is discharged through a second outlet; 
 a distributor integral to the hollow body and arranged to receive the food product and to distribute the food product to the rotor; 
 a support means arranged at a second portion for supporting the hollow body in a cantilever-like manner; 
 a support frame of the sieve, to which the sieve is integral, the support frame of the sieve surrounding the sieve and comprising a plurality of coaxial ring portions and a predetermined number of connecting portions arranged to connect the plurality of coaxial ring portions to each other; 
 wherein each connecting portion is arranged flush with an outer edge of the plurality of coaxial ring portions, to avoid producing stairs between the outer edge of the plurality of coaxial ring portions and each connecting portion; 
 wherein the hollow body has an inspection device arranged to allow monitoring an inside of the hollow body, and testing the correct operation of the different mechanical parts; and 
 wherein the inspection device comprises a first inspection window and a second inspection window arranged at a predetermined distance from each other, wherein a light source is arranged at said first inspection window, and wherein the light source illuminates the inside of the hollow body, which is visible through said second inspection window.